5 Chances, 1 Touchdown: USC Lets Indiana Off the Hook

Five trips deep into Hoosiers territory produced just one touchdown on Saturday, leaving the Trojans to fly back to Los Angeles with a 27-13 loss, and little room to blame anyone but themselves.

Set aside the scoreboard, and USC’s loss looks less like a beating and more like a self-infliction.

Now, a season’s worth of promise is slipping away. 

The Trojans (7-3) were far from outmatched. They moved the ball at will against defending national champion Indiana (9-1), gaining more than 400 yards on the road in a hostile environment where USC hadn’t played since 1981.

Somehow, the Trojans left Bloomington with nothing to show for it. 

The Trojans’ five red-zone drives reached Indiana’s 12-yard line, at least, but yielded only one touchdown and two field goals. 

That’s a dramatic swing in a one-score game for three quarters. 

While trailing 20-13 in the fourth quarter, USC drove to the Indiana 6-yard line without facing a third down, in position to tie the game with 6:30 left. The drive was nearly flawless. 

That is, until Jayden Maiava threw his second interception of the day, just short of the goal line, to Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones.

Indiana then drove 93 yards and capped the drive with a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Grant Wilson to wide receiver Charlie Becker, extending the Hoosiers’ lead to two scores with 3:30 left. 

Maiava’s third interception at the Indiana 37-yard line with 1:06 left sealed the deal.  

Still, the Trojans went toe-to-toe with an Indiana team that is now all but certain to reach the College Football Playoff. 

Maiava finished 26/42 with 311 yards and one touchdown, and the Trojans scored 13 points against a defense that ranks fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing an average of 12.44 points per game. 

After the game, USC head coach Lincoln Riley was unhappy with what had transpired at Memorial Stadium. 

“Very, very disappointed with the loss. We prepped really well coming into this game. I thought all sides of the ball had some very positive moments, but ultimately we made too many mistakes in this game,” Riley said after the game. 

Riley was extremely disappointed after the loss.

“Some of the penalties, missed opportunities in the red zone, and some dropped interceptions,” Riley said. “We had some real opportunities to win this game, because, play for play, it was a slug fest.”

Maiava took responsibility after the loss. “I just got to play better at the quarterback position and adjust.” 

Nevertheless, Riley is unwavering in his commitment to his program. 

“I believe in what we are doing. I believe in myself. I believe in our leadership. I believe in our administration. I believe in everything that’s happening here,” he said.

Riley said the disappointment was spread among the players and coaches.

“Trust me, there’s nobody that wants it as bad as all of us involved,” Riley said. “We know how close we are as a group. We know how close we are as a team. We got a good view of that tonight.”

USC was right there. On the road, against the defending champs. 

The Trojans belonged on the field in Bloomington.

“Closing out games like this are what you have to do to be the best,” Riley said. “This game came down to a couple of plays, and we did a good job putting ourselves there. But we got to shut the door.

“We understand that, so we’re going to get back to work.”